Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-05-06
The Battle of Cedar Creek.

On the morning of the nineteenth Of
October, 1854, our regiment, the One
Hundred and Thirty-ninth Pennsylvania,
First Brigade Second Division Sixth Army
Corps, under the temporary command of
General Sheridan, was encamped on the
north side of Cedar Creek. Our position
was on the right of the Union line. About
four o'clock we heard the rattle of mus
kerry on u left, the position held by the
Eighth Corps, under the command of Gen.
eral Crooks. We got orders to pack up
and be ready to move at a moments no.
mand, Fall in, men; fall in; forward,
double quick. march," and away we went
toward the left of the line. Pretty soon
we encountered the flying and disordered
battalions of the Eighth Corps, which had
been surprised and driven out of their
camp at the point of the bayonet. They
were completely panic stricken, and their
officers had no control over them; but now
the old Sixth Corps, that never failed in
the hour of need, was in line between
them and their yelling and victorious foe.
Our regiment was supporting a battery.
Soon the fighting became terrible. The
enemy swarmed and screamed in our
front: they drove off the supporting
regiments on our right and lStt, and
doubled our TANKS. they shot down our
men by the scores; ali the horses belonging
to the battery we were supporting were
either killed or disabled. They doubled
around our regiment in the form of a
horse-shoe, and it seemed as though We
would all be killed or taken prisoners.
They captured the battery, and I guess
they thought they would also get our regi-
ment, but, if SO, they were badly mistaken.
Our Colonel rallied us round the colors,
and we made a bold dash for liberty. We
succeeded in reaching a piece OF woods, a
short distance in our rear, that served US
for o temporary shelter. We then fell back
about two miles, where we found the corps
drawn up in line of battle. We did not
know whether we were going to stop or not,
although the foe appeared to be content
with what they had done.
It is hard to tell what the result would
have been, but all doubt vas soon dispelled
by the arrival on the field of Little Phil"
as the boys called him. He rode along the
line on his black horse, telling us we were
going right back into our old camps, and
that we would give them the worst whaling
ever they got; and, as cheer after cheer
rolled along the lines, the Johnnies listened
and wondered. That was something new
to them; q routed and disordered army
cheering. They didn't know what to make
Of it, and concluded that the Yanks had
got reinforcements. So they had, one
man. But he appeared to be in no hurry
to make the attack. He rode leisurely
along the lines, giving his orders and
noting the positions of tho troops. At
length he was ready; then came the
word Forward" and the whole line
advanced as one man. Our regiment oc-
cupied a position near the center of the limo
IN the right Of the turnpike, and directly in
our front was q stone fence running parallel
with our hne of battle. Behind this the
enemy lay concealed. We charged up at q
double quick, but the fire was so hot that
we were compelled to fall back a short dis
lance, but w rallied and vent at them
again. This time we succeeded in clearing
the stone fence, driving them pell NELL be-
fore US.
Their whole army was now on the retreat,
flying in a disor0ered mass. In vain their
officers tried to rally them. They had had
enough Of fighting for that day. We went
into our old camp that night, as Sheridan
had promised us. So ended the battle Of
Cedar Creek.-ChicaQo Ledger.